In the Phoenix park, just beside the visitors centre and Ashtown Castle, there is a remarkable tree. It is so large that you can climb under its branches and children often play there, climbing and jumping under the beautiful boughs. It creates a magical space and a place where children are told wishes come true. It is a wishing tree. In such an enchanted place, allow yourself to rise above the mundane and you will believe that your wishes will come true.
This week, find a place in nature or in your imagination where you transport yourself to a magical place from where you can make a wish. Then make a wish for something that you desire and using the power of visualization imagine this wish is already true.
As adults we are often to afraid to wish for something in case it does not transpire. Children make a leap of faith where they wish for things. When these manifests they believe in the power of the wish. Be brave enough to wish and then detach yourself from any outcome. You may be pleasantly surprised when the wish comes true.
As the dawn of 2016 rises this January 1st, many of us will be shaking off the excess of New Year’s Eve celebrations and the many Christmas parties. This is the time of year when traditionally we begin to expect a lot of ourselves to make changes in our lives.
From this expectation comes pressure and from pressure comes stress and from stress comes nothing but exhaustion and an excess of cortical in your system. The cortisol leaves you drained and decreases your immune system. When we are stressed we are evidently not in a position to create positive change.
This January, take away all the pressure to change, to set goals, to make New Year’s resolutions. When we take the pressure off ourselves we actually achieve more. You don’t need to change, if you wish to embrace change, find the part of you that already knows how to do this effortlessly and easily. For example, if this year you have set yourself a goal of getting properly fit, think back to similar positive changes you have made in the past. Imagine yourself already fit, toned and full of energy. Your subconscious will start to manifest the changes from your thoughts and feelings so that, before you know it, you will find yourself going for a run and wanting to do this without any sense of pressure or reliance on will-power.
The power of your imagination is limitless; by tricking your body into already feeling the rewards of being fit, of getting the a new job, of meeting the love of your life, then you will start to create the chemical in your brain that attracts that into your life.
Make 2016 a year of no pressure and an abundance of success in every way. Embrace January! Embrace positivity!
Sometimes Christmas day can be built up with so many expectations – the food, the gifts, the tree, the family, the kids, the joy of Santa coming. These are all wonderful but can often seem overwhelming. Frequently people struggle to contain the pressure and many families experience stress on the very day that everyone is’ supposed’ to be happy, at ease and peaceful.
,If you are fortunate enough to have a calm family who can take it all in their stride then rejoice. However, if you are like many of us whose families can feel the tension and have trouble managing it then have yourself a ‘Conscious Christmas’. Use your breathing to help ground you in the present moment, pause and savour all the abundance the festivities have to offer. Take your time with the preparations and most of all remember to bring humour to any tense situation. If you decide to anchor yourself in the moment and to enjoy every wonderful moment of the day, you will provide a calming influence to others who may be less able to self-regulate.
The best gift you can give to yourself and those around you is a calm, happy and peaceful Christmas. Cultivate the ability to express gratitude, moment by moment and breath by breath. Let the magic of Christmas lift up your spirits and spread joy to those fortunate enough to spend the day with you.
This week, whenever you find yourself alone savour the peace that silence brings. When you are alone you can experience the joy of your own company; think of this time as a precious gift in which you get to spend time with someone you need to love – you!
Some people do not enjoy their own company and feel the need to fill their time with constant plans and distractions. If you are one of these people, consider how it is that you can enjoy someone else’s company if you are not able to sit with yourself. The relationship that is of paramount importance is the one you have with yourself. If you reflect on this you will see that you are always with yourself even when surrounded by others. When you have created peace within yourself your inner confidence will shine and radiate outwards.
The 8th of December was traditionally the day when country people travelled to Dublin to do their Christmas shopping. This week, reflect on what kind of Christmas you wish to have. It is easy to get sucked into the hype of Christmas shopping and end up spending money on gifts that go unused or unappreciated. The closer we get to Christmas the greater the panic as people ask the perennial question, “are you all sorted for Christmas”?
The true meaning of Christmas has nothing to do with consumerism and taking things to excess, yet the expectation of over-indulgence is widespread; spending too much, eating too much and drinking too much. Too much is really too much – your body struggles to cope with the excess of food and drink. Your bank balance is probably also struggling. Less is probably more in this context.
Nobody is suggesting being a Christmas Scrooge, simply that you consider what you really value about Christmas. When you recall Christmases passed is it the gifts that you remember? Is it the food and drink? Most likely, the memories of being with the people you love is what you remember. This year, spend your time and energy on having a mindful Christmas where the only “excess” is an abundance of love.
We all have to make many decisions every day and sometimes our circumstances demand bigger or more crucial decisions be made. This can seem overwhelming – knowing what is the best path to take. Life altering decisions such as whether we should take a new job we have been offered, if we should buy or sell a house or what school should we send our kids to? The weight of these decisions can become heavy as the perceived results are significant. We therefore often ask family and friends for their opinions, we research, ruminate and ponder what the outcomes might be for each decision we have to make. All of these steps might appear to help but the reality is that they often add to our confusion.
The answer to making any decision lies in your gut feeling. If you have feelings of discomfort when you consider one of the options then you should know that this is not the right decision for you. Do not rush into making a decision until you have become aware of your gut instinct or feeling. This is the strongest ally you have – learn to trust it.
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In the Phoenix park, just beside the visitors centre and Ashtown Castle, there is a remarkable tree. It is so large that you can climb under its branches and children often play there, climbing and jumping under the beautiful boughs. It creates a magical space and a place where children are told wishes come true. It is a wishing tree. In such an enchanted place, allow yourself to rise above the mundane and you will believe that your wishes will come true.
